Ulysses

Has anyone read that before? Anyone patient enough to give me an exegesis please? I would really want to understand this novel. To me, the harder and cryptic it gets, the more I want to digest it. By the way, I found the almost every line nonsensical. Forgive my stupidity.

It would take several volumes to fully explain it, but figuring it out can be interesting. It requires that one be well acquainted with a wide range of literature.

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Originally Posted by CataclySm1c

Has anyone read that before? Anyone patient enough to give me an exegesis please? I would really want to understand this novel. To me, the harder and cryptic it gets, the more I want to digest it. By the way, I found the almost every line nonsensical. Forgive my stupidity.

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You're not stupid, CS, Ulysses is a book dense with allusion - you could re-read it all your life and not necessarily understand all the references.

When I first read it many years ago, I found James Joyce's Ulysses - a study by Stuart Gilbert a useful handbook, giving the reader an entry into the structure and background of the book. I don't know if it is still in print - it was not a new title when I used it - but your library may have a copy. There must be more recently written handbooks - why not ask your librarian for assistance in finding one, I'm sure he/she would be able to help you. Alternatively, have a look through the topics in the Forum - it's a book that is frequently discussed and mulled over by Forum members.

Above all, enjoy it - it takes a bit of effort but I'm sure you will find it worthwhile!

Yes. Feel free to use Ulysses Annotated or The New Bloom's Day Book. The first 6 or so chapters are relatively pain free, but when you get to the [Sirens] episode its difficult from there on out.

Fortunately, Joyce's command of the English language is phenomenal, and when he isn't experimenting with form, his prose is simply vivid and gorgeous. The [Sirens] episode is quite fascinating - it is meant to represent linguistically the form of a musical composition (an opera, I believe). This includes an overture section. Of course, upon first inspection, you'll not know any of this, plus the fact that none of the sections of titles, and Joyce doesn't tell you what he's trying to do in [Oxen of the Sun], but fortunately for us, the novel came out over 80 years ago, so people have figured out things for us so that its not the mystery that Finnegans Wake in some ways still is.

Ulysses, and Finnegans Wake too for that matter, are some of my favorite books. Even though both are very tedious, they're both worthwhile. One of my favorite parts of Ulysses was the Sirens episode. I felt like I was actually hearing music! The Circe episode was very creative and fun as well. The book created some very memorable scenes and I hold it to heart. Worth the all the patience!

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Originally Posted by kasie

You're not stupid, CS, Ulysses is a book dense with allusion - you could re-read it all your life and not necessarily understand all the references.

When I first read it many years ago, I found James Joyce's Ulysses - a study by Stuart Gilbert a useful handbook, giving the reader an entry into the structure and background of the book. I don't know if it is still in print - it was not a new title when I used it - but your library may have a copy. There must be more recently written handbooks - why not ask your librarian for assistance in finding one, I'm sure he/she would be able to help you. Alternatively, have a look through the topics in the Forum - it's a book that is frequently discussed and mulled over by Forum members.

Above all, enjoy it - it takes a bit of effort but I'm sure you will find it worthwhile!

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Thanks for your reply. I'll look out for that book :D